This invention relates to a valve assembly for a liquid fuel and, more particularly, a fuel valve assembly which is ideally suited for use in combination with the spraybars of an afterburner of a gas turbine engine.
Augmented (i.e., afterburner-equipped) gas turbine engines require spraybar valve assemblies between the fuel manifold and the spraybars. The principal need for these valve assemblies is to create equal distribution of a given flow of liquid fuel to all spraybars of the manifold throughout the fuel flow range, because without such valve assemblies the scheduled flow would become unevenly distributed in the burner section of the engine, with significantly adverse results, as the flow decreases to the lower end of its range.
Although fuel flow control valve assemblies in afterburners are well known, there is a current need in the art for a valve assembly which will eliminate the probability of corrosion and/or galling that afflicts prior art valve assemblies of this type, and thereby which will eliminate the significantly adverse results thereof, such as the consequent inaccuracy of the valve assembly because of hysteresis and sticking. Currently used valve assemblies commonly have valve members and sleeve members that are made of materials which will rust and gall and otherwise wear during some operating conditions of the engine, such as with some sand and/or water and/or salts in the liquid fuel.
I have invented a unique valve assembly which can be used to meet the above-described current need in the art; and, thereby, I have advanced the state-of-the-art.